While sitting through the slick, handsomely mounted production of “Wicked” that docked at the Saroyan Theatre for a two-week run, I couldn’t stop thinking of the theatrical fog that wafted off the stage into the orchestra pit.

It looked like lush, flowing whip cream — you almost wanted to reach out and scoop it for a quick mid-performance dessert.

Then there was the production’s sumptuous lighting. A scene in which The Wicked Witch (Laurel Harris) is bathed in a shimmering purple glow is nothing short of breathtaking. The brash, green neon glow of Oz City is an impressive feat, as well.

Then there’s the giant dragon with glowing red eyes that hovers above the stage, announcing early on that this production didn’t skimp on the budget.

This production of “Wicked,” at least in terms of stagecraft, is one of the most sumptuous theatrical productions you’ll see in the Central Valley. (And when you consider ticket prices top out at nearly $170, the show had better be darn sumptuous.)

That the things you will most remember from “Wicked” is the lighting, costumes and sets is an indication of the mammoth production’s chief problem: It’s an empty vessel, albeit a gorgeous one. You leave the theater impressed with the spectacle, but unmoved. The show is a like a big, lumbering machine, never quite reaching the emotional heights is strives for.

‘Oz’ revisited

“Wicked,” for the uninitiated, is an alternative version of the events surrounding “The Wizard of Oz.” It imagines a world where Elphaba, who is later transformed into The Wicked Witch, was college friends with Glinda the Good (Kara Lindsay), the chipper witch who helped Dorthy on her trip through Oz.

Winnie Holzman’s book — which is based on the best-selling novel by Gregory Maguire — has a lot of fun skewing the famous “The Wizard of Oz” story.

In the production’s fun second act, we get to see alternative explanations of how The Tin Man, The Cowardly Lion and The Scarecrow came to be. Poor Dorothy, who is only briefly seen as a shadow, is dismissed as a crybaby and brat who is a heartless thief who steals shoes off a corpse’s feet.

Lacks emotional punch

Where the musical is less successful is in its sluggish first act, where it tries to establish the strong bond between Elphaba and Glinda. Their relationship never quite packs the emotional punch that Holzman’s book wants us to feel. So when the musical strives for big emotion— say the song “For Good,” in which the two witches reflect on their friendship — the moments fall flat.

Also falling flat, at least in Thursday’s performance at the Saryoan Theater, are two numbers that packed a punch in other productions I’ve seen.

Lindsay’s rendition of “Popular,” the musical’s subversive parody of The Good Witch Glinda’s self absorption and cluelessness, seems almost perfunctory and rushed. There’s no comic energy when she she sings “You’ll be popular, just not quite as popular as me,” a line that should get laughs. Here it clangs.

Another disappointment is the usually charming “Dancing Through Life,” a song that gently skewers both the intellectually lazy and privileged class. Matt Shingledecker’s Fiyero, the show’s romantic hero, seems mildly bored during the number.

Defying Gravity

There are some musical numbers that soar, though. “Defying Gravity,” the act-one finale, is undeniably spectacular theatrical moment that will give any lover of musical theater goose bumps. You can almost hear the audience gasp as the green-skinned Elphaba takes flight while belting out the musical’s signature song of defiance.

And Gene Weygandt’s bouncy version of “Wonderful,” a cynical and pointed song about political opportunism, is the unexpected highlight of the performance — certainly a moment that audiences shouldn’t overlook amid the show’s more elaborate moments.

So should you shell out your hard-earned cash to “Wicked”? The answer is a qualified yes, especially if you’ve never seen the show before. You won’t be humming any tunes or thinking about the show after you shuffle off to the parking lot, but you will be impressed by the spectacle that is “Wicked” — and wondering how they got that theatrical fog so thick.

How to attend

What: “Wicked”

When: Through Sunday, April 13. Tickets for Friday and weekend performances are limited. Your best shot for tickets are for the weekday shows.

Where: Saroyan Theatre at the Fresno Convention Center, 700 M St. in Fresno.

Tickets: $169.75-$68.35, plus Ticketmaster fees if you buy tickets through the service.

Two and a half hours before each show, people can enter a lottery at the Saroyan box office. Half an hour later, names will be drawn for a limited number of orchestra seats at $25 each, cash only. The lottery is available only in person at the box office, with a limit of two tickets per person.